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AAR Reports Weekly Rail Traffic Maintains Steady Pace

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported that weekly rail traffic continues to maintain a steady pace with U.S. railroads originating 299,394 carloads for the week ending Oct. 2, 2010, up 7.7 percent compared with the same week in 2009, but down 10.7 percent from the same week in 2008. In order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR reports 2010 weekly rail traffic with comparison weeks in both 2009 and 2008.

Intermodal traffic on U.S. railroads totaled 240,252 trailers and containers, up 16.5 percent from the same week in 2009, but down 1.9 percent compared with 2008. Container volume last week increased 17.6 percent compared with 2009, and rose 5.8 percent compared with 2008. Trailer volume last week rose 10.2 percent compared with 2009, but dropped 30.6 percent compared with 2008.

Weekly carload volume on Eastern railroads was up 1.3 percent from last year, but down 17.1 percent from 2008. In the West, weekly carload volume was up 12.2 percent from last year and down 6.2 percent from two years ago.
For the first 39 weeks of 2010, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 11,128,229 carloads, up 7.2 percent from 2009, but down 12.3 percent from 2008, and 8,422,706 trailers or containers, up 14.7 percent from 2009, but down 4.6 percent from 2008.

Canadian railroads reported volume of 78,567 cars for the week, up 6.9 percent from last year, and 51,598 trailers or containers, up 18.2 percent from 2009. For the first 39 weeks of 2010, Canadian railroads reported cumulative volume of 2,837,308 carloads, up 19.4 percent from last year, and 1,838,616 trailers or containers, up 15.8 percent from last year.

Mexican railroads reported originated volume of 13,982 cars, up 13.6 percent from the same week last year, and 8,478 trailers or containers, up 13.7 percent. Cumulative volume on Mexican railroads for the first 39 weeks of 2010 was reported as 535,731 carloads, up 20.5 percent from last year; and 260,762 trailers or containers, up 27.8 percent.

Combined North American rail volume for the first 39 weeks of 2010 on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian, and Mexican railroads totaled 14,501,268 carloads, up 9.8 percent from last year, and 10,522,084 trailers and containers, up 15.2 percent from last year.